Bleach: All's Fair in Love and War
by gentleman lonewolf
Summary: Going to repost under my new author name, Operation Meteor! RangikuXOC
1. Chapter 1

**Bleach: All's fair in Love and War**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Kubo does, and for that he is a god among mortals. Since I lack an understanding of basic copy write laws, I guess I don't officially own any original characters in here either. If you want to use them, go ahead, but at least give me a shout out if you do. Thanks.**

**Author's Note: **Timeline wise, this story takes place just after Toshiro, Rangiku, and the rest of the advance team arrive in Karakura Town. I'll let you know when there is a flashback to an earlier time. Also, italic sentences are thoughts, and a series of dots at the center of a line underneath a paragraph indicates a change in either point of view or the setting itself. By the way, I'm actually a fan of Toshirou/Rangiku pairings, but this idea just sort of came to me, so please don't flame it!

**Chapter One: Decision**

It was the height of summer, yet still the cherry blossoms fell in the Seireitei. _Perhaps that is fitting_, thought the old man as he leaned on his large wooden staff, stroking his long beard with his left hand. _In a sense, we are all in mourning. The sakura trees mourn along with us, long past their time to grow ripe fruit, as if they too cannot truly come to terms with what has occurred._ The old man fidgeted slightly in his black robes and white jacket, remembering certain former comrades who had chosen to walk the path of blood and betrayal. _What to do? _Thought Shigekuni Genryusai Yammamotto, Head Captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads.

The situation was desperate. With the betrayal of Captains Aizen, Ichimaru, and Tosen, the Soul Society had suffered a serious blow to its ability to keep the Hollows in check. Also, with Lieutenant Momo Hinamori still in a coma and the continuing lack of a replacement for Squad Thirteen's long dead Kaien Shiba, also a Lieutenant, the Gotei 13 were seriously reduced in numbers and ability. Granted, they had found some new allies in the world of the living, as well as some old friends, they could not defend their home on their own. An advance squad had been dispatched to aid them in the event of an early strike by Aizen's forces, but it was far weaker than such a force would have been at the height of the Seireitei's power. _They will fight well, but they may not be enough._ This early in the game, and already the opponent seemed to have called check.

If events continued at this rate, Soul Society would be crushed, and humanity consumed by an army of Hollows. _Perhaps it is time… to call upon _them. Yes. That was it. None of their members had been called to the field in several decades, but they were his last trump card. If even one of… _them_… were to join the advance team in the world of the living, it could bring him out of check and set up a counter attack against Aizen. _But_, he thought, _is it worth the risk?_ For they protected the King of the Soul Society, and to remove even one of _them_ from his realm was no small matter. Was it worth reducing His Majesty's protection, even if it was just by one man? _Yes._ There were simply no other moves left that could change the outcome.

Having made up his mind, the Head Captain began to walk towards the Chamber of the Central 46, Soul Society's governing body. Normally he would send a messenger to the replacements of the not so recently deceased members, but for a matter this important it was best to present his case in person. It was the only way that they would listen to him.

_It is time,_ he thought as he approached the large gates, sentries approaching to check his identity. Time to swallow his pride and ask for the help of the most feared and awe inspiring force in all of Soul Society, perhaps all of creation itself. Time to bring new light forward to combat the darkness. Time to shift the balance of power once again, perhaps on an unprecedented scale. Time to call upon… _the Royal Guard._

**Author's note:** I had this story posted earlier, but I was new to the site and the formatting was giving me headaches! sorry this took way too long to fix. I'll try to be a better updater from now on.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Moonlight Encounter**

It was a quiet, peaceful night. There were no people out at this time, a gentle breeze was blowing through the park, and the city seemed to slumber in contentment. A lone woman walked through the park, looking around at the trees, the playground, ever watchful, ever vigilant.

She was what many would consider to be the epitome of female beauty. She had a body that many would kill for, with incredible legs and a chest that would be considered by all men to be the crown jewel of womanhood, so curvaceous and yet so soft. Her beautiful face, with luscious lips and icy blue eyes was framed by long ginger hair that fell almost to her waist. Her figure was apparent even in the loose fitting black robes she wore, customized with a pink scarf that hung around her shoulders and a small, simple necklace consisting of little more than a chain and a circle. She appeared to be in her early twenties.

Rangiku walked slowly through the park, the slow wind playing with her long hair. She looked around and sighed. _I had to go and loose to Ikaku in Rock, Paper, Scissors and get stuck with patrolling the town tonight._ She was a kind woman who always did her duty, but had kind of a lazy attitude towards work. She would rather be back at Orihime's place watching some of those fascinating TV shows that humans loved than be out here. _Still, at least it's a nice night. No arrancars this time._ She remembered the advance team's first encounter with them a little more than a few days ago, and how the only way that they had been able to triumph was through the release of the limit placed upon all officers of the Gotei 13, restricting the amount of power they could draw upon outside Soul Society so that they did not adversely affect the world of the living. After that they had won easily, but it had just gone to show how powerful these new adversaries were. _It might not go so well next time. We need to be ready, and become stronger._

Suddenly, the wind picked up speed, and she felt a sudden chill as she picked up a new source of spirit energy. It felt familiar, and _very _powerful. _Who is that… no?! It can't be… _Then a voice behind her answered her own worse fears. "So nice to see you again, Rangiku." Knowing exactly who was there, she turned around to face the source of those words, which had lacked any warmth and were instead spoken with a cold, murderous tone. "Ichimaru" said Rangiku Matsumoto, her own voice dripping with hatred. They had been friends once, but now, after his treachery, she felt nothing but absolute loathing in her heart. "What are you doing here?"

As always, the silver haired, squinty eyed former Captain still had that wicked smile on his face. "Well that's easy enough to answer. After Grimmjow's disgrace and the fall of his Fraccion, I decided it would be best to nip our problems in the bud. In short, I'm here to kill you and the rest of the Soul Reapers in this town." His eyes opened, revealing for the first time to Rangiku the savage crimson orbs concealed beneath the perpetual squint. With that, he Flash Stepped towards her and attacked with his short Zanpakuto, which she barely managed to parry with her own.

With that, Gin Ichimaru went on an all out assault, radiating white-grey spirit energy everywhere as his sword fell upon Rangiku like a many headed cobra, so fast were its movements. She was barely able to block and redirect the strikes, and didn't have a chance to go on the offensive for herself, so desperate was her situation. They fought across the park, appearing to be little more than blurs to the naked eye. After blocking a nasty overhand attack with her blade held only in her right hand, she sent a stream of blue energy at the former captain with her left, forcing him to back off a bit.

"My my, an unspoken Hado. Even if it was a low level one," he smirked. "Still, not nearly good enough." _Crap_, thought Rangiku as he came at her again in a blur, _he's not giving me any breathing room. I haven't even been able to release my Zanpakuto_. At this rate, she wouldn't be able to hold out for much longer. Eventually, after continually being forced back by Gin, she found herself up against a tree, with the traitor stepping back. She was perplexed at this move only for a moment, when she then felt him building up a massive amount of energy for what would be a finishing blow.

"Shoot to kill, Shinso!" he cried, and the tiny blade extended out many times its own length, shoot towards her at lightning speed. She raised her sword to block, but knew that, though she had countered it once in the past, the power behind this blow would be enough to shatter her Zanpakuto and kill her. _Looks like this is the end,_ she thought as she closed her eyes, preparing to be impaled upon the blade. Rather than be skewered, though, she was surprised to hear a loud _clang _as steel met steel. However, she had felt no impact upon her sword. _What the…_ she thought as she slowly opened her eyes, not sure if she was still alive or just hallucinating in her last moments. When she saw what had happened, she could have sworn her jaw had hit the ground, such was her shock.

Standing before her was… a miracle.

Not a foot away from her, a figure slightly taller than her was between her and the elongated Shinso. Standing with his back to her, all she could make out was his black robes, dark brown hair, and -to her great surprise- a white captains vest, a haori. However, instead of a squad insignia on the back of it, instead there was a single three prong symbol, like a trident, only the outer two spikes were bent inwards and then outwards, like bolts of lightning, and the embroidery was silver rather than the traditional black. His Zanpakuto glistened in the moonlight, but what shocked Rangiku the most was the fact that her savior had stopped a supercharged Shinso strike _with only one hand on the hilt of his blade._ His left arm was raised slightly in the event that he needed to apply more strength to his block, but apparently it was not necessary. His head turned back towards her over his left shoulder, and what she saw surprised her even more. _He looks about my age, and he's… handsome._ His face wore a soft, concerned expression, clearly worried about her well being. His skin was light like hers, and his eyes were blue as well, only his were a much darker shade, two ocean blue gems that held within their depths a beautiful mixture of sincerity, hope, and gentleness.

He spoke, and his voice, like his expression, had a very soft, concerned tone to it, yet was at the same time strong and comforting. "Are you all right, my lady?" Stunned at how he could be so calm after taking an attack from a former captain and blocking one handed, yet still have enough room in his thoughts to care about her well being, all she could do was simply nod and whisper "Yes". He smiled, a small but nonetheless a very beautiful one. "I'm glad. Please, remain here. I'll deal with him."

He then turned to face Gin, whose crimson eyes were open and wearing an expression of absolute shock, very rare for him. "You…" he began, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing in front of him. As if to embody his disbelief, Shinso itself withdrew a considerable distance. "It can't be… not even old man Yamma would humble himself enough to call upon your kind, least of all you." "Well, you know what they say, desperate times, desperate measures and all that" replied the stranger. "If it makes you feel any better, I volunteered as soon as the request came up from the new Central 46 before my superiors could assign someone. Not wanting to waste time arguing with me, they just shrugged and gave me the equivalent of a formal 'whatever'. So, here I am. It's been a very long time, Gin. I must say I'm very disappointed, I thought I had left my former squad members in better hands when I accepted that promotion."

He sighed, regret and a hint of sorrow evident in his voice as he continued. "Then again, I always had my suspicions about you and your compatriots. I just didn't want to believe that they were true, that it was all in my head. In the end, I guess I wound up deluding myself more than Aizen's Zanpakuto ever could." He had been staring at the ground as he spoke, but now he raised his head and looked directly at him. "This whole mess is because of my negligence, my willful ignorance. I will now correct that mistake and give you the death you so greatly deserve."

His voice lowered and became menacing as he began to chant, left hand raised and angled at Ichimaru, spirit energy swirling around the two. "A shield of lies, the flames of the tyrant fanned by the wings of the storm. Hado 69, Ju-Jak (Scarlet Sparrow)." A flaming bird shot towards the traitor, its massive wings threatening to engulf him in an inferno. There was a blinding flash of light… when it faded, Gin was revealed to still be standing, without a scratch on him, radiating white-grey spirit energy. "I see," said the young man, "you raised your own power output to counter the flaming phoenix. I haven't seen that trick in a while. Should have known it wouldn't be that easy." With that he gripped his Zanpakuto in both hands and glared at Gin. He smiled, but there was no mirth behind it. "Let's dance." With that, both warriors leapt at each other in the blink of an eye, swords clashing loudly, and the fight was on.

They fought with incredible speed, Flash Stepping constantly, the clanging of blades ringing out into the night like a chorus of banshees. As a lieutenant, Rangiku was able to perceive their movements, but only barely. She was astounded at the skill this newcomer possessed, as well as by the difference between the fighting styles of the two combatants. Both were quick, but while Gin fought with a cold sense of efficiency equivalent to that of a serial killer, with very precise and vicious blows, her rescuer seemed to be almost… dancing, as he had said in his challenge to his foe. He was still fast, but his moves were more graceful, polished, and… elegant. Several times he would wield his sword in only one hand, his movements flowing like the waters of a stream, adapting to obstacles as they came, never pausing, always in motion. In addition, blue spirit energy seemed to radiate from him, and she was surprised at how… _cool_… it was. Not like her captain's, whose felt like a blast of arctic wind, but more like the soft, gentle, refreshing breezes that had been flowing through the park. It felt invigorating, like mountain spring water on a hot afternoon.

His energy, his reiatsu, was also incredibly strong, but at the same time she could tell that both he and Ichimaru were holding a great deal back, as if right now they were merely feeling out each other's moves and style, trying to get a solid idea of their opponent's strategies and tendencies before upping the ante. However, all three suddenly felt a fourth presence approaching, its spirit energy a familiar winter gale to Rangiku, with several weaker sources of spirit energy following closely.

Suddenly taking several Flash Steps back, Gin disappeared and then reappeared above his two enemies, standing on thin air. "It would seem that I've overstayed my welcome. No matter. Though I've failed to kill any of you, Aizen will not care in the least when he learns who has been added to the mix. Until next time, _old friend_". Ichimaru all but spat out those last two words. Then he proceeded to tear open a rift in the sky, and fled to Hueco Mundo, the Hollow Realm.

"Damn, I failed. Should've gone all out from the start." The young man sighed as he sheathed his Zanpakuto while Rangiku slowly approached him. She saw a hint of sorrow in his eyes. _What happened between those two?_, she wondered, but knew that now was not the time to ask him. _After all, he did save my life. The least I could do is respect his privacy. I can always ask him later._ He turned around as he saw her approach. She took a breath and said softly, "Thank you. I knew from the start that I was no match for him, but there was no way for me to escape. I had hoped to hold out until the others got here, but this place is some distance from where we are staying. You saved my life, and I'm truly grateful." He smiled again, a small one. "You don't need to thank me, but I appreciate your gratitude. I couldn't just stand back and let you die. I suppose it's fortunate I showed up when I did." He paused for a moment and simply stared into her eyes, and then she saw him blush lightly as he held out his hand. _My, he's even cuter when there's a little red in his face_, she noted, a faint smile coming to her lips.

"My name is James Ralthion," he said. She took his outstretched hand in hers. "I'm Rangiku Matsumoto, lieutenant of Squad Ten. It's a pleasure to meet you. Um, if you don't mind me asking, what division are you from? I've never seen you around, and you're obviously at the captain level, but your insignia is… unique." He blushed again, one hand going behind his head to scratch his neck in embarrassment. "Oh, right. Sorry, I forgot to tell you. I'm really not a fan of formality." She smiled. "Really, same here! Although, the whole 'my lady' thing sounded fairly formal… not that I mind." He returned her smile. "Well, we hadn't been properly introduced, and while I don't like to be so stiff, I do believe in extending a lady every courtesy. Anyway, where was I again… oh yeah, my squad." He paused for a moment, as if working up the courage to tell her something embarrassing. He cleared his throat, and then spoke… and gave her yet another surprise for the evening. As Captain Hitsugaya, Lieutenant Abarai, and Soul Reapers Ikaku and Yumichika arrived, he said, "I'm a member of Squad Zero… the Royal Guard."

**Author's note: All right, my first Bleach style fight! Please, let me know how it went and what improvements I can make! By the way, Ju-Jak is Korean, not Japanese. No, I am not Korean (or Japanese for that matter), I just thought the name sounded cool. Also, the symbol I choose for the Royal Guards is the Black Knights symbol from Code Geass, which I do not own. Sorry, but I couldn't help it, that symbol is so damn cool!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Preparing for the Next Move**

The landscape was about as far from the Soul Society as one could get. Where as outside the Seireitei there was a mixture of forests, plains, lakes and rivers, here there was only a vast, barren desert, with the occasional withered tree, and a few forbidding mountains on the horizon. This was Hueco Mundo, the Hollow Realm, where Aizen had withdrawn to after his treachery had been laid bare for all to see. Secure in the knowledge that all was proceeding according to plan, he had taken up residence in a massive palace, with a large central dome structure surrounded by several massive towers that looked like incredibly smooth columns. The stonework was a strange grey-green hue, and looked as foreboding as the desolate wastelands around it.

Las Noches. Palace of the night. A fortress of malice and deceit, threatening to consume all who dare to enter.

In the central throne room, several people were gathered. One among them, a certain silver haired ex-captain, was kneeling before a massive marble chair. Gin Ichimaru had returned from the world of the living, and while he had failed in his primary objective, he had brought back with him some rather… _interesting _news.

Sitting on the throne was a brown haired man with an amused expression on his face, one that belied the cunning and deviousness within. Sousuke Aizen, former Captain of Squad Five and lord of the arrancars, was not one to be taken lightly under any circumstances. He leaned forward as Gin took out a small, emerald colored insect from his white robes. The bug disintegrated, and the particles fell to the floor, which suddenly came to life in a riot of colors before stabilizing into a picture of the park where the evening's events had taken place.

"Show me everything from the beginning," said Aizen.

Ichimaru nodded, and the events that had transpired from his attack on Rangiku Matsumoto to the intervention of the Royal Guardsman to his retreat were played out for all in the chamber to see. When it was finished, Aizen chuckled. "I figured Yammamoto would be desperate, but I never thought he'd ask for the Royal Guards' assistance. It must have frustrated him when he realized which one had taken the assignment. Those two never got along well after that incident with the captains and lieutenants a century ago." Gin nodded and replied. "Yes, especially since he was the lieutenant of Squad Three at the time, and his captain was caught up in our Hollowfication experiments. He really got under old man Yamma's skin when he kept trying to reinvestigate that mess and clear his mentor's name."

Aizen nodded. "Indeed, the Head Captain never did like to dwell upon past scandals. No wonder he wanted that incident to be forgotten by all others… as if it would be that simple. I seem to recall spending several painstaking hours erasing as many records of that encounter as possible just to cover our tracks. Yet even after his promotion to the Royal Guard, he continued to search for evidence against us. He never did trust you or I. Even Tosen wasn't above his scrutiny. It must have infuriated him when the King's realm got news of our theft of the Hogyoku and our escape to Hueco Mundo." Aizen laughed. "He was right about us all along but could never prove it. I suppose he was chomping at the bit to come to the world of the living when the replacement judges on the council relayed the Head Captain's request."

Gin chuckled as well for a moment, and then became serious. "So, what do we do about him? We anticipated the arrival of the advance squad, with an allowance for more strength that they brought with them put into the plan. This, however, could be more troublesome." Behind the throne, a dark skinned figure with pale eyes, signifying that he was blind, wearing white robes and a Zanpakuto as well, emerged. "Yes, quite so," said Kaname Tosen, former captain of Squad Nine. "That one was calm and peaceful, but also very strong… and difficult to read at times. He is a wild card, and could cause a great deal of chaos. How I hate chaos." He paused for a moment, and then continued. "Lord Aizen, let me go and deal with him. My bankai would make short work of him."

Aizen shook his head. "Your bankai is indeed strong, but in this case you overestimate it. If Zaraki of Squad Ten could defeat it after taking a few blows, then James Ralthion could counter it without a scratch, whether he would be using his shikai, bankai… or even fighting with his Zanpakuto unreleased. Don't tell me you've forgotten the Captain's Exam, where he was required to demonstrate his skills." "No Lord Aizen, but still…" "If you do recall it," replied Aizen, "then you should remember the attributes he demonstrated. His prowess in the art of the sword. The moment your blade would have brushed his clothing, he'd be able to block and counter your strike before you could reach flesh. Even with your bankai's ability to render a foe blind and deaf, so long as he could feel the ripple of his robes as a Zanpakuto came into contact with them, his reaction speed would nullify any advantage you possessed. No, we will let him be for now, and simply take his own strength into account when launching future operations."

Suddenly another voice boomed out, a rough bass tone. "Bah, he doesn't look that tough. I say let's kill him now!" The speaker was Yammy, the Tenth Espada, a muscular brute with more brawn than brains.

A much softer voice followed. "You idiot, were you not paying attention to the recording? That man was holding most of his strength back. He'd kill you in a heartbeat." With his pale face and gloomy blue-green eyes, the black haired Espada that spoke up didn't really look like much, but if one saw the tattoo under his jacket they'd be forced to reconsider. Ulquiorra, Espada number Four, was _exponentially _more powerful than his dull witted comrade. "Hey," replied Yammy, "I'm not that much of a weakling. Not like Ichimaru, who couldn't even scratch that new guy." "You're even dumber than I thought you were, Yammy," sighed Ulquiorra. "Director-General Ichimaru was holding back most of his strength as well. Now, hold your tongue before I cut it out!" Yammy gulped, and decided that in this case his fellow Espada was serious. He made one of his few smart decisions and proceeded to shut the hell up.

"What's the matter, Number Four? You afraid of the big-bad Royal Guard?" said another Espada, a kid with bowl-cut black hair and a ridiculous pink sheath for his Zanpakuto. Luppi, the replacement Number Six for the disgraced Grimmjow, was already letting his new position go to his head, and his ego was growing by the day. _If only this Royal Guard were to go up against him and slaughter him_, thought Ulquiorra. _Then I'd be rid of this annoying little piece of trash. Even Grimmjow was less of a bother than him… and stronger as well._

Before he could reply, a female voice rang out. "Stop this, both of you. It's a waste of our time. Besides, Ulquiorra, didn't you have news to share with us as well? Regarding our… _potential _allies?" The speaker was Tia Harribel, the only current female Espada. With her messy blond hair, tan skin, and green eyes, she was a real beauty, with the lower half of her face obscured by her coat collar, a bust to rival Rangiku's, and a well exposed midriff that would make lesser men drool. One of the quieter and less combative of the top arrancars, the third Espada only spoke either when spoken to or when a serious matter was in danger of being overlooked. Her quiet grace belied her awesome power.

_There's one not to get on the wrong side of. Nevertheless, in this case it seems I owe her one. She at least shut Luppi up_, thought Ulquiorra. Clearing his throat, he replied. "Yes, Harribel, I was coming to that. Thank you for shutting up the trash." Before Luppi could fire a shot of his own, Ulquiorra continued. "Since my last mission to the world of the living, I've been traveling Hueco Mundo in search of information on the Vasto Lordes. The lesser Hollows will only speak of them if forced into submission, so it has been a rather tedious task. However, I have learned that there are currently three, possibly four of them at large in this realm. I have yet to learn their exact location. With all due respect, Lord Aizen, I must once again protest this plan of yours. Granted, the Vasto Lordes would make excellent allies. However, with the power they posses, they could pose a threat to the unity of our group. And if they were given access to the Hogyoku… they could become virtual gods. I will follow your orders, but in this case I am compelled to point out that this is a gamble not worth making."

To his surprise, Harribel spoke up as well. "I agree with Ulquiorra. Their massive power would be as much a threat to us as to the Soul Society. Even without access to the Hogyoku, from what I've been able to sense at a great distance, the powers of even two Vasto Lordes would be at least equal to all of the Espada. Unless we plan on devoting considerable resources to keeping them in line, I can see them as nothing but a wild card with too much potential to backfire on us."

Aizen listened to his two most trusted Espada, and then held up his hand. "I appreciate your concerns, but rest assured that I have already taken this into account. All will be revealed in due time. In the meanwhile, continue the preparations for the next phase of our plans, all of you. And please try not to kill each other in the process."

The Ten Swords of Aizen's Menos army bowed. "Yes, my lord!" they all said, and then disappeared like shadows on the wind.

**Author's note: I enjoy writing intrigue, but acknowledge that I'm still developing my talents in that field. Any tips you guys could offer would be greatly appreciated! By the way, sorry I didn't write in all the Espada for the dialogue, but I couldn't think of lines for all of them in that scene, so I just stuck with a few of the more well known ones.**

**P.S. Harribel is awesome!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: Reminiscence with a New Friend**

Most people, when faced with issues of the mind and spirit, believe that a simple walk outside can be a good way to relieve stress and find solutions to ones problems. James Ralthion considered himself to be one of them, but with a twist. Now, a few days after his rescue of Rangiku in one of the city's parks, here he was again, trying to take a considerable load off his chest, if only temporarily, in the only manner he knew how.

Combat.

Well, not quite. While sparring with a partner was always preferred, James felt that sometimes the best way to quiet one's mind was with some solo exercise, in what he simply referred to as "Sword Dance". He had decided to adopt the term over a hundred years ago, when he was a lieutenant in Squad Three. His captain had often remarked that his blade techniques were graceful, bordering on a certain kind of fast paced yet elegant Spanish dancing. With that thought in mind, James had taken to practicing out on the training grounds by himself at times, with his personal Soul Communicator belting out tunes he had observed and recorded during a month-long Hollow hunt spanning from what is now modern day Madrid to Barcelona. He found the guitar tunes played by the natives to be an incredible mix of fever pitch speed and passion to a softer, yet beautiful mellow tone that could sooth even the most tormented soul.

Now, with Soul Society's latest incarnation of the cell phone sitting on the grass (in communications, the Research Department had been way ahead of the world of the living, as well as musical recording, thanks to Urahara) strumming a soft concerto into the cool evening air, James was moving through a warm up routine, the moonlight turning his blade into a flashing crescent that cut graceful arcs through the frequent breezes wafting through the park. The melancholy melody played by Spaniards long since passed on was a reflection of what he felt in his heart.

Since the events of a few nights ago, his mind had begun wondering back to the old times of a century ago more often than normal. He had tried not to let it show, but occasionally he had found himself starring out the window of Orihime's apartment, where he was staying along with Rangiku and Toshiro, lost for words, trying to figure out how everything had gone wrong so fast, and how he had been too blind to see what had been right in front of him all along. Rangiku, bless her heart, had picked up on his quiet musings when no one else had, and although he had told her that nothing was wrong, he knew that he had not convinced her. _Such a kind woman_, he thought. _I do not wish to burden her with my past mistakes. She deserves far better. It is my fault that things are as they are now. Nevertheless, I will find a way to set things right, to erase the stain of my unforgivable past_. Still, the thought of pouring himself out to her kept working its way through his mind. _She would listen, she would understand, she would help you bear this weight_, he thought, before once again striking that longing down. He did not want her to have to bear his sins. Nevertheless, the thoughts kept coming back. With a sigh, he threw himself back into his exercises with wild abandon, loosening up his stance as the music shifted to a much faster bolero.

He was unaware that he was being watched.

…

Rangiku Matsumoto had taken great pains to conceal her considerable spirit pressure when she went to follow James when he had volunteered for the evening's patrol. Since he was a member of the Royal Guard, she had to work harder at it than usual, but was fairly confident that she had gone undetected than usual.

For the fourth time that night she mentally asked herself, _why am I doing this?_ It was obvious that he wanted to be alone, and even more blatant that he had a lot on his mind. By rights, she should at least respect the man's privacy.

_However…_ She had a feeling that to leave him alone at a time like this would probably cause more harm than good. She realized that while, consciously, he wanted to be alone, what he probably desired more than anything else in his heart at that moment was someone to talk to, a friend. Although they had only known each other for a few days, she definitely considered him to be one, and not just because he had saved her life.

Most men that she had met in her life had, with few exceptions, looked at her and saw only her physical appearance, and not the woman on the inside. However, she could recall with brilliant clarity the look in James' eyes as he had first saved her, the genuine concern he had had for someone he had literally just met, and not under the most peaceful of circumstances.

And it hadn't stopped there. As he had moved into Orihime's place with her and her captain, he had treated her with the utmost respect, yet at the same time retained a light hearted and good humored personality that had only disappeared in the brief instances she had caught him starring out a window with an expression of pure melancholy on his face. Each time she had asked what was wrong, he had said nothing, but she knew that was a blatant, if reluctant, lie on his part. She was touched that he didn't want to worry her, but knew from personal experience that there are some things one shouldn't keep bottled up inside for long.

"Well, guess I have no choice," she whispered to herself. If he wouldn't open up on his own, she'd just have to nudge him a little. Taking a moment to compose herself, she stepped out from behind the tree she had chosen as her hiding place, just as he was finishing up a combination of slashes and thrusts timed perfectly to the quick pace of the music.

He stopped when he saw her, surprise written all over his face. After a moment he smiled and said, "Nicely done. I couldn't detect you at all. How long have you been following me?" "Since you left Orihime's," she replied. She paused for a moment, and then continued. "James, talk to me. What's bothering you?"

To his credit, his facial expression didn't change a bit. "Nothing, Rangiku. I just wanted to practice my swordsmanship a bit while I was out, that's all." She sighed. "I'd believe you if it weren't for your tendency to get this far off expression on your face whenever you think no one's looking. Which you had the entire time you were practicing, whether you noticed it or not." This time it was his turn to sigh. "Look," he said slowly, "I don't want to worry you. You've got enough going on as is. We all do…" He was obviously referring to the coming war with Aizen. While certainly important, it was more of a distant event, and she knew that it could be dealt with only when it came. "That's still quite a ways off. In the mean time, I'm more than willing to help out a friend in need, whether he realizes it or not."

He laughed for a moment, and then cleared his throat. "You know," he said, "you truly are an amazing woman." He sat down on a nearby bench, and motioned for her to join him. "Get comfortable, this will take a while." When she was seated and was looking him right in the eye, he temporarily forgot what he was going to say, mesmerized by her beauty. He then realized he was staring, blushed furiously, which elicited a faint smile from her, and then said, "Well, where to start?" She waited patiently, and then said, "Where ever you think is necessary."

He looked down for a moment, like he needed to gather his courage, and then began speaking. "Do you remember the incident with the captains and lieutenants a century ago?" She thought for a moment. "You mean where the captains of squads Three, Five, and Nine, along with several officers, were exiled?" He nodded, and then continued.

"At the time, there had been a rash of disappearances within the Soul Society, specifically the Gotei 13." Rangiku nodded. "I was only the ninth seat in Squad Ten at the time, but I remember it well," she said. James smiled, "Your squad was lucky that no one from it was caught up in that mess. I'm glad, otherwise I might not have met you." "Speaking of which," said Rangiku, "why haven't we met before now? You were once a member of the Court Guard Squads yourself." He blushed slightly. "Well, the truth is, back then I was pretty shy. I only had a few friends, and I found it difficult to open up to new people. My captain, Rojuro 'Rose' Otoribashi, saw that when I became his lieutenant. He was actually the first person to call me out on it, and introduced me to his friends. They were a nice group of people, and slowly I was able to come out of my shell. Unfortunately, I met them only a few weeks before… the incident." A look of comprehension dawned on Rangiku's face, and as she looked at James she could see the melancholy he had been trying to suppress all week come out in a sad smile. "Yes, I see you've realized it quite quickly. All of the friends I had made in that time were the same members of the Gotei 13 that were forced to leave the Soul Society… or face execution."

"After the disappearances had been going on for a while, Captain-General Yamamoto dispatched Squad Nine to launch a full scale investigation. The captain, Kensei Muguruma, his lieutenant, and several other of the officers of that squad took to the field during one disappearance in order to catch the perpetrator before the trail went cold. They were attacked by an unknown assailant, and defeated quickly. Then the captains of squads Three, Five, and Seven were mobilized, along with the lieutenant of the Kido Corps and Squad Eight's lieutenant. I would have gone myself, but the Captain forbade it, saying that I needed to run the squad in his absence, and that I could also act as a reserve if necessary. It wasn't well known at the time, but he knew that I had achieved bankai a few months ago, and had been honing my skills with it. Captain Urahara of Squad Twelve had already sent his lieutenant as well, in order to gather evidence from the site of the disappearances."

"When the group arrived, they found the Squad Twelve lieutenant and then themselves under attack by a Hollowfied Kensei and his lieutenant, Mashiro Kuna. As the others prepared for battle they were suddenly cut down by an unseen enemy. Then they themselves were Hollowfied." He paused for a moment, then said, "All I've told you so far is based not on post action reports, but from a letter from an old friend of mine. You've probably heard of him: Kisuke Urahara." Rangiku nodded, "He's letting Renji stay at his place. I was aware that he was exiled, and that it related to the Hollowfication incident, but the exact cause was kept top secret." James nodded, "Yes, and, in the eyes of the Central 46, for good reason. The real cause for the exile of Urahara was because he had succeeded in creating Gigai that absorbed reishi, and therefore left no trace of them to the Soul Society, effectively undetectable. His first use of them was, with the aid of Yoruichi Shihoin, was to give them to the afflicted Soul Reapers, whom he and Tessai had helped control their new Hollow powers, and help them escape from the Soul Society. Captain Shihoin was also forced to go into exile when she aided in their escape."

Rangiku then spoke up, "Hold on a minute, if Urahara helped them, then he must have figured out that it was Aizen, Gin, and Tosen that were conducting the Hollowfication experiments. Didn't he mention that in the letter you received?" James shook his head sadly, "No, and now that I look back on it, it was for a good reason. If I had known that they were responsible for what had happened to my friends, I would have thrown caution to the wind and tried to kill them outright. They would have taken me easily. Also, since the accusation would have come from an exiled captain and Soul Reapers that were supposed to be executed on sight, no one except me would have taken it as convincing evidence. As things stood, I kept the letter detailing the events a secret, and began conducting my own investigation into the incident. With my captain gone, I volunteered to take the Captain's Exam, much to the surprise of Yamamoto. Long story short, I passed, and promoted my third seat to lieutenant. The privileges of my new rank increased my access to the archives, and in my off hours I would pour over the records of what became known officially as the Hollowfication Incident. Over the years I came across several oddities and discrepancies. The most obvious ones were unauthorized use of the Senkaimon by unrecorded Soul Reapers both on that night and several others while the disappearances took place. Also, records of the incident itself stated that a standby alert had been issued for the rest of the squads, while in fact I specifically remember that no such alert had been issued. Also, records related that alert showed that Aizen, Gin, and Tosen had in fact mobilized under the standby alert, along with other lower ranking Soul Reapers."

"Wait a moment," said Rangiku, "putting themselves in a false record would only serve to draw suspicion towards them, wouldn't it?" James nodded, "Under other circumstances it might. However, both Central 46 and Captain-General Yamamoto wanted the incident buried and forgotten, and as a result few ever consulted records about it, or even talked about it. As a result memories of it faded rather quickly for most of the high ranking officers simply because it wasn't talked about, and the false records were eventually taken by most to be factual accounts. My own concerns were dismissed as simply denial, that I simply couldn't bring myself to believe that my captain had essentially committed treason against us all. My persistence in the matter was a source of much frustration to the Captain-General and the Central 46." He sighed as he looked up at the night sky, and then faced her again. Shame was evident in his expression. "Over time I devoted less and less effort to my investigation, and eventually moved on completely. Fifty years later, when the offer came of promotion to the Royal Guard, however, my resolve to settle the matter was rekindled. I accepted, mainly because Royal Guards keep their own separate archives facility, and I thought that perhaps within there, the records of that night were in fact unaltered, and that I could find the proof I needed to exonerate my captain and my old friends. Gin Ichimaru was serving as my lieutenant at the time, and though I had some suspicions about him, he had proven himself to be a capable second-in-command, and he was the only real choice to replace me as Captain. Before I took the promotion, I recommended Gin as my replacement. He took the Captain's Exam and passed smoothly, though I myself was actually on one last assignment in the world of the living at the time, and did not witness the test."

He paused once again, and then laughed slightly. "Perhaps I should have questioned the orders that gave me that assignment on that day. The hollows in the field weren't even Gillians, though I admit that they made up for the lack of power with numbers. Still, I didn't even have to use my shikai to defeat them. By the time I returned, though, Gin had already passed the exam, and I was packing up my belongings and moving on to the King's Realm." "And what about the archives in the Guard facilities?" said Rangiku. "There was some material there that helped me." replied James. "The documents regarding the use of the Senkaimon in particular were most useful, as they were completely unaltered. However, any evidence of foul play on the part of the now traitor captains was circumstantial at best. Still…" His voice trailed off, and Rangiku decided she needed to interfere before his thoughts went further down what was obviously the path of self-recrimination and misplaced guilt.

"James, look at me," she said. He did, and was once again mesmerized by her beautiful face. A faint, familiar blush went over his face, which she could feel herself reciprocating lightly. _Focus girl_, she thought to herself. She looked into his eyes and began speaking.

"I know this is hard to accept, but you are _not_ at fault for what has happened over the past century. You did everything you possibly could to get to the bottom of what had happened to your master and Aizen's involvement. You did more to attempt to expose him and the truth about that incident than the rest of the Soul Society combined. His betrayal of all of us is his doing alone, his and his companions. There was no solid proof to be had against them until it was too late." He stared at her, stunned at her directness. "Rangiku… how can you say that… you've been caught up in this mess… how can you…" "Not blame you?" she finished for him. "Easy: because it is _not your fault. _Get that through your head." She then softened her expression. "It's the only way you'll be able to defeat them in the coming war. Your guilt will only way you down."

His shocked look turned into one of contemplation for a little bit, and then he did something that surprised her: he threw his arms around her in a fierce embrace. She stiffened a little in surprise, then relaxed and returned the embrace, a warm feeling growing inside her. After a few moments like that they parted, and he took her hands in his. "Rangiku," he said, "thank you." She smiled, "you're welcome. Now, what do you say we head back to Orihime's for the night." He was slightly puzzled. "Are you sure about that? My patrol's not done yet." "Oh don't worry about it. Besides, you have the highest rank out of any Soul Reaper in this city. What are you going to do, court martial yourself? Use those perks of rank a little bit." He laughed, and rose up from the bench. He offered her his hand and she took it, rising up as well. Together they walked off into the night, both of their moods much lighter than they had been awhile ago.

**Author's note: Whew, that took awhile! Sorry this took so long, this chapter was the first serious romantic one in the story, and I'm still developing my skills in that area. I didn't want to have it overflowing with fluff. I got nothing against fluff, but it's just not my style. I took a few liberties with the canon of the Bleach storyline, which I'll be doing throughout the story, _much_ more so in the later chapters. Hey, this is fanfic, and I want to have some fun with it! Seriously though, my overall storyline is going to part sharply from Kubo's soon enough. I'm hoping you guys (and girls) will be willing to stick around and see what happens! Little preview, the next chapter will also be romantic, pretty much a date chapter. Also, it will involve music by the incredible rock band "Journey" (I love those guys!). As always, feedback is appreciated, just no flames please!**


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